In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, a dystopian future is described that is meant to directly comment on our own consumerist culture. The World State keeps the citizens of the world under control by enforcing social classes and brainwashing them to value consumption above all else. In today's society, our need for material goods, and our deeply held beliefs about the 'haves' and 'have-nots' match Huxley's world, but our world allows resistance to those ideas.
The World State is dependent heavily upon a world in which consumerism is king - products are revered, and Henry Ford's principle of the assembly line has become the primary principle by which society is run. The slogan adopted by the World State is "ending is better than mending," which means that one should throw away yet another disposable product instead of trying to fix it (Huxley, p. 49). This lends itself to the rampant usage of resources indicated by the society in which these people live.
That aspect of the World State was meant to show the wastefulness and smallness of a society possessed by things and by itself, which is very familiar to those who live in modern society. People often focus on having the latest thing, and concentrate so much on possessing material goods that they let that become the primary focus of their lives. In this way, modern society parallels the World State, though not to that extreme.
Another way the government controls society is through the creation of social classes. Instead of having normal births, children are created and hatched, divided into five social classes, from Alpha (the highest order) to Epsilon (the lowest caste). Alphas are naturally given every advantage, while Betas through Epsilons are deformed during gestation to keep them at a physical and mental disadvantage. With this, the government creates an elite that can get all the benefits that they want, and the people below them in social stature are completely unable to move up in the world. This is very similar to many modern societies, especially in countries where 1% of the population carries a significant portion of the wealth. Those in the lower classes have a much harder time making their lives better or gaining more notoriety and clout than they have already.
Dissent in the World State is very rare, as most people are pleased with the hedonistic, consumerist culture that is presented. Religion has been all but outlawed, and people have been given subconscious suggestions to keep them loyal to the government. John, the protagonist, looks on this world with a lot of sadness, since he knows more about passion, love and caring than his brothers in the World State since he grew up outside of it. This lets the reader see the difference between a real, rational society like one that exists today, and the horrors of the World State. He recognizes the appeal of nice things, and of the attitude of casual sex seen in the World State
Neil Postman (1985) compares Brave New World to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, stating that "What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one." What this means is that, while Orwell thought people would be oppressed, Huxley's society is completely fine with their government masters. To them, apathy is comforting, and they actively do not seek out intellectualism. Furthermore, Christopher Hitchens (1999) saw a parallel between the World State society's apathy toward history and modern American society: " the hedonist nihilism of Huxley still beckons toward a painless, amusement-sodden, and stress-free consensus." Both of these authors saw Huxley's satire as a way of saying that modern society does not care about what is truly important; the government, by robbing the people of that which came before, prevent them from recognizing a better way to live.
While these aspects of modern society are still true, American society still holds close to ideas of religion, conservatism, and faith that set it apart from Huxley's World State. Even though these values are not as big as they were before, there is not the complete destruction of religion in society that is seen in Huxley's book. Furthermore, modern society has not reached the solution of eugenics to keep people in line.
In conclusion, Huxley's World State uses consumerism, hedonism and strict social classes to control its society. In many fundamental ways, modern American society does these things as well. However, the concepts of religious freedom and equality are still strong enough for the government to not be the one driving force in people's lives.
OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
THESIS: The World State keeps the citizens of the world under control by enforcing social classes and indoctrinating them to value consumption above all else. In today's society, our need for material goods, and our ingrained beliefs about the 'haves' and 'have-nots' echo Huxley's world, though our world permits dissent from those ideologies.
POINT 1 - Materialism
- The World State is dependent heavily upon a world in which consumerism is king - products are revered, and Henry Ford's principle of the assembly line has become the primary tenet by which society is run.
POINT 2 - Social Classes
- Instead of having normal births, children are created and hatched, divided into five social classes, from Alpha (the highest order) to Epsilon (the lowest caste).
POINT 3 - Dissent
- Dissent in the World State is very rare, as most people are pleased with the hedonistic, consumerist culture that is presented.
COUNTERARGUMENT/CRITICISM OF BOOK
- Postman quote
- Hitchens quote
RESPONSE
- American society still holds close to ideas of religion, conservatism, and faith. While it is not as prevalent as it was before, there is not the complete destruction of religion in society that is seen in Huxley's book. Furthermore, modern society has not reached the solution of eugenics to keep people in line.
CONCLUSION
- The World State uses consumerism, hedonism and strict social classes to control its society. In many fundamental ways, modern American society does these things as well. However, the concepts of religious freedom and equality are still strong enough for the government to not be the one driving force in people's lives.
Works Cited
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. London: Chatto & Windus, 1932. Print.
